It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and in the very centre of mainland Netherlands, and had a population of Utrecht's ancient city centre features many buildings and structures, several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century. It lost the status of prince-bishopric but remains the main religious centre in the country. Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age , when it was surpassed by Amsterdam as the country's cultural centre and most populous city.